Stories from Sunday, January 5, 1992

The Christmas sales reports that are trickling in are not great but we already know that. One item conspiracy did sell well. It always does. Americans love it. They buy it. They are always ready to believe it. In published form, there were lots of old conspiracies to buy most of them rehashes. ...

Volunteers are needed to help others with their tax returns as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service. "The VITA program uses volunteers to provide free assistance to taxpayers who cannot afford professional help," said Dorothy Ank, coordinator for the program at Cape Girardeau...

The year ahead may be one of tight finances for local and state governments, but it should also be one of progress for a number of construction projects already scheduled. Thanks to Proposition A and continued good management of highway dollars, the region continues on the road to better transportation...

St. Francis Medical Center's new president is proposing a joint planning committee between the hospital and its cross-town counterpart, Southeast Missouri Hospital. The president, John E. Fidler, said the committee is needed to create a more collaborative partnership between the hospitals and to avoid duplication of services...

JACKSON -- If you live in rural Cape Girardeau County, get ready for a new address. About 7,000 rural addresses will have to be converted for the countywide 911 emergency response system voters approved in November, said the director of the county's Data Processing Department, Ron Andrews...

Some things have stood the test of time better than others. That point was clearly demonstrated Saturday afternoon in the opening of a 35-year-old time capsule that had been buried in Common Pleas Courthouse Park as part of Cape Girardeau's sesquicentennial celebration in August 1956...

Stating that their work has only just begun, two incumbents on the Cape Girardeau Board of Education have said they plan to seek re-election. Ed Thompson and Lyle Davis plan to file for election on the first day of filings, which open at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Candidates have until 5 p.m. Feb. 4 to file for the April 7 election...

BIEHLE -- In the town of Biehle, city business is a family affair, brought on by an effort to help start up a rural fire department. A 56-acre area, which includes Buchheit Inc. a general merchandise, farm and building supplies store that has long been a fixture here has been incorporated as the town of Biehle, population 8...

The public school system is a big industry in Cape Girardeau, says the system's superintendent. "A lot of people do not realize what the school district means to the city," said Neyland Clark, superintendent of Cape Girardeau public schools. "We provide quality education to more than 4,400 youngsters and we provide a big boost to the economy...

JACKSON -- A new office building is now ready for occupancy at Jackson. "We already have one client for the new building," said Gerald McElrath, developer of the two-story structure at 810 Highway 61 East. McElrath, of Heartland Realty in Jackson, said the main floor of the building contains 4,000 square feet...

EAST CAPE GIRARDEAU, Ill. -- A McClure, Ill., truck driver suffered injuries in a one-vehicle accident near here Saturday afternoon. Illinois State Police said Kevin McKee, 30, was westbound on Route 146 when the tractor-trailer he was driving left the roadway and overturned about a quarter mile east of the Mississippi River bridge...

The Area Vietnam Veterans and Support Group will meet Thursday at the American Legion Post 63 above Beard's Sports Shop. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. All Vietnam veterans, spouses and other interested people are invited. For more information, call Roy Rhodes at 335-0683 or Roger English at 243-7305...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Commodities will be distributed at the Community Building in Olive Branch Thursday at 2 p.m. "Special arrangements can be made for eligible persons who are disabled or sick and cannot attend the Thursday distribution," said spokesman Bill Criswell...

First Exchange Corp. is continuing to reduce loans to its own bank officers, directors and principal shareholders, said the president of First Exchange. The action, mandated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in September, has resulted in a cooperative effort on the part of all First Exchange banks, said Lee Whitler, the president and chief executive officer of First Exchange Corp., headquartered in Cape Girardeau...

CHARLESTON - Norene Christina Baker, 77, of Charleston, died Friday, Jan. 3, 1992 at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 15, 1914 in the Texas Bend Community north of Charleston. Her parents were the late Thomas Ress and Mable Christina Johnson Essary...

SCOTT CITY -- Robert William Dodson, 38, of Scott City died Thursday, Jan. 2, 1992. He was born March 9, 1953 in Hammond, Ind., son of Cecil and Betty Revell Dodson. His mother, Betty Austin of Mulberry Grove, Ill., survives. He was the owner of Scott City Meat Processing...

PERRYVILLE -- Lillie F. Huber, 93, of Perryville died Friday, Jan. 3, 1992, at Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville. She was born Nov. 2, 1898 in Perry County, daughter August B. and Amelia Buerck Zoellner. She was a housewife. She was married to Elmer L. Huber on Oct. 31, 1927. He preceded her in death May 26, 1975...

Alonzo G. Foreman, 87, of San Clemente, Calif., died Wednesday, Jan. 1, 1992. He was born March 31, 1904, in Gale, Ill., son of Alonzo and Wilhelmina Windisch Foreman. The family moved to Cape Girardeau, and he attended schools here. Foreman moved to California where he was affiliated with Texaco Oil Co. He held a distributorship with the company in various locations, retiring in San Clemente...

TAMMS, Ill. -- William E. Tinsley, 83, of Tamms, died Friday, Jan. 3, 1992, at his home. He was born April 14, 1908, near Tamms, son of James and Janie Brown Tinsley. He and Hazel Dailey were married June 20, 1925. She died Dec. 10, 1981. Tinsley was a retired ranger with the U.S. Forest Service...

Helen J. Derrieux, 85, of Cape Girardeau, died Sunday, Dec. 29, 1991 at the Cape Girardeau Nursing Center. She was born Oct. 3, 1906 at St. Louis, daughter of John and Ruth Bowman Hoffa. She married Bert Long Nov. 24, 1921. He died July 1961. She then married Edward Derrieux June 1, 1963. He died April 1976...

Vincent M. Trickey, 72, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Jan. 4, 1992. He was born Jan. 8, 1919, at Oriole, son of William and August Wright Trickey. He married Helen Glueck Jan. 12, 1947, at Cape Girardeau. She survives. Other survivors include a son, Stan Trickey of Jackson; daughter, Janet Temperley of Augusta, Ga.; sister, Beulah McLaird of Cape Girardeau and three grandchildren...

PERRYVILLE -- Emma E. Bangert, 93, formerly of Patton, Mo., died Friday, Jan 3, 1992, at Mineral Area Hospital in Farmington. She was born Nov. 22, 1898, at Patton, daughter of Jesse and Eliza Seabaugh Doggett. She married John Harry Statler Nov. 2, 1917. He died Jan. 29, 1949. She married Robert Bangert March 15, 1951. He died Jan. 13, 1984...

PERRYVILLE -- Pearl M. Bruckerhoff, 85. of St. Mary died Friday, Jan. 3, 1992, at the American Care Center in Perryville. She was born Jan. 9, 1906 in Perry County, daughter of William and Rose Zahner Moonier. She first married Lawrence Modde. He preceded her in death in 1943. She married Morris Vicent Bruckerhoff on Oct. 26, 1949. He preceded her death on Aug. 29, 1985...

Kylie Michelle Weiskircher died Friday, Jan. 3, 1992, at St. Louis Children's Hospital. She was born Dec. 4, 1991 at Cape Girardeau, daughter of Mark A. Weiskircher and Lisa K. Hart Weiskircher. The parents survive. Other survivors include paternal grandparents Thomas Weiskircher of Rockford, Ill. and Sue Stricker of Auburn, Maine and maternal grandmother Lana Hart of Sikeston...

Iva Pearl Sparks died Friday, Jan. 3, 1992, at Farmington Presbyterian Home. Sparks was born in Midway, Ks. daughter of Joseph Butler and Victoria Tracy Butler. She married the Rev. Walter E. Sparks on Nov. 11, 1915 at Maulberry, Ks. He preceded her in death in 1958...

ORAN -- Hannah Margaret Gerst, of Oran, died Saturday at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Feb. 25, 1914, near Oran, daughter of Ferdinand Brucker and Louise Whitefield Brucker. She married Vincent Gerst June 20, 1953. He preceded her in death Mar. 20, 1983...

Clara B. Herren, 92, of Route 4, Jackson, died Friday, Jan. 3, 1992, at Jackson Manor in Jackson. She was born Feb. 28, 1899, at Glasco, Ky., daughter of George C. Shirley and Dora Anna Greer Shirley. She was first married to Hurley Strange. He died. She then married Fred Kellogg. He died. She married Waldo Herren in 1954. He preceded her in death Sept. 18, 1971...

Burial will be in Oak Grove Cemetery near Charleston. Friends may call from 6-7 p.m. today at Sparks Funeral Home in Charleston. She died Thursday, Jan. 2, 1992, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born Aug. 10, 1904 in the state of Mississippi...

Private graveside service for Alice Marie Garner of Cape Girardeau was held Friday at Memorial Park. W.H. "Dutch" Estes and the Rev. John Ferguson officiated. Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel was in charge of arrangements. Garner, 67, died Thursday, Jan. 2, 1992, at St. Francis Medical Center...

In the obituary Thursday of Margie R. Bierschwal, the name of a brother was incorrectly printed. It should have read Bill Webb of Cape Girardeau. Bierschwal, 73, of Cape Girardeau, died Wednesday, Jan. 1, 1992, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Funeral service was held Saturday at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Chapel. The Rev. Winferd Wren officiated, with burial in Lorimier Cemetery...

Howard Keith Smith, 63, 1607 Perryville Road, died Friday, Jan. 3, 1992, at his home. He was born Oct. 6, 1928, in David City, Neb., son of Howard and Effie Woolsey Smith. He and Helen Marie Faucett Wissman were married Sept. 4, 1981, in Cape Girardeau...

MILL CREEK, Ill. -- Thelma Winn, 73, of Mill Creek, died Thursday, Jan. 2, 1992, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born Nov. 20, 1918, in Union County, daughter of Luther and Myrtle Smith Arnold. She married Earl Winn Sept. 4, 1935. Winn was a member of Jonesboro Pentecostal Church...

ANNA, Ill. -- Funeral service for Kathy Robertson Schulz of Sun City, Ariz., formerly of Anna, will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Crain Funeral Chapel here. Steve Shepherd will officiate, with burial in Anna Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from 5-8 p.m. today...

DONGOLA, Ill. -- James Redcloud, 56, of Dongola, died Friday, Jan. 3, 1992, at Memorial Hospital in Carbondale. Service arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by Crain Funeral Home in Dongola.

One of the easiest decision you'll have to make in 1992 is selecting your calendar. It merely involves deciding whether your needs are best met by a wall-hung, desk-top, page-a-day or datebook model, and what sort of pictures you can live with for the next 12 months...

`Tis hard times, so they say. I'll go along with that. But I got more free calendars this year than ever before. Bright, four-colored and illustrated calendars don't come cheap for the providers. So I like to take this as a tiny, timely (no pun) harbinger that things may be lightening up...

No longer is the mailbox filled with Christmas greetings from friends far and near. Now come the Christmas bills, increased advertisements and catalogs offering new plants and seeds. Each year the pictures of the new introductions become more and more enticing and the catalogs are more beautiful. ...

The Rev. Ray Otto will be speaker for the 1:30 p.m. Monday meeting of AARP Chapter 4041 at Grace United Methodist Church. Otto, director of pastoral care at Southeast Missouri Hospital, will explain new laws concerning advance directives and the rights of persons to make decisions about their future medical care...

The Cape Girardeau County Christian Women's Club will meet at noon Jan. 13 in the Jackson Room of Holiday Inn. A fashion show will be presented by representatives from Arthur's, music will be provided by Mary Belle Headrick, and speaker will be Linda Horstmeyer of Chesterfield...

Charlotte Elizabeth Young Slinkard wanted to be a fashion designer but opted instead for teaching. "When I was going to Southeast Missouri State University in the late 1950s, teaching was the logical thing for women to do," said Slinkard. "Things have changed now and women can do anything."...

William R. Schott of Cape Girardeau, a certified public accountant, recently attended an accounting and auditing annual standards refresher course sponsored by the Missouri Society of CPAs. The course is prepared by the continuing professional education division of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and is designed to further the knowledge of CPAs in the changing field of accounting and auditing...

A new customer service center has been established at Cape Girardeau by Union Electric Company. UE officials say the new center will extend telephone hours for customers in the Southeast Missouri area. The extended hours mean customers can call Union Electric between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday...

CAIRO, Ill. -- The Learning Tree, a preschool and after-school program operated by Tip of Illinois Health Services Inc., recently opened in Cairo. The new school, certified by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, has 50 students ranging in ages from 6 weeks to 12 years...

DEXTER -- Jon Cozean of Cozean Funeral Home in Farmington has been elected president of the Southeast Missouri Funeral Directors Association. Cozean and other officers were elected during the organization's annual Christmas party at Dexter earlier this month...

SCOTT CITY -- A former Scott City man has been appointed executive assistant to the president-executive director of CCI Foundation at Christ College Irvine (CCI), Calif. The college's Board of Regents announced the appointment of Alan C. Zacharias to the position recently...

Fashions Boutique, 826 Broadway, has expanded its lines. The retail special-occasions wear business, which is observing its fifth anniversary this year, has added pageant gowns, pageant jewelry and accessories, new lines of wedding gowns, "after 5" and prom lines...